1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hammer tool adapters and more particularly pertains to a new multiple-impact adapter for a hammer tool for permitting the hammer tool to be used to drive an object through multiple impacts on the object with the object being positioned directly under the driver of the hammer tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of power tools using a single-impact to drive an object (such as, for example, a nail) has become popular as a time and effort reducing measure. Specialized tools have been developed for this purpose, but because of the single-impact action, and the need to keep the tool light enough to carry for long periods of time, these tools have generally been limited in the size of the fastener that can be driven thereby and the positioning of the object to be driven.
Specialized multiple-impact tools have been devised for driving fasteners, although some are known to be limited in driving power. Some of the specialized fastener drivers employ a palm-held design that is relatively small and light, but this diminishes the driving power of the device. Also, the typical broadness of the width of the palm-held devices make them difficult to maneuver into small spaces for driving fasteners or positioning items into structures, such as, for example, joist hangers. The reaction force of the impacts is directly applied to the palm of the hand of the user, which is considered to be undesireable for the comfort and safety of the user.
Air-powered hammer tools have been devised for multiple-impact chiseling operations, and multiple impact adapters for mounting on the hammer tools are known in the prior art. Such adapter devices tend to be relatively bulky structures in both the length of the adapter and the width of the adapter. When mounted on a nose section of a hammer tool, these known devices tend to restrict the ability of the adapter and hammer tool combination to be used in confined spaces. One reason for the overall bulkiness of the known devices is the relative large number of parts employed in such devices.
Further, known devices tend to be noisy to use due to the multiple impacts with the fastener being driven by the adapter, and this is especially a problem when the user needs to hold the hammer tool and adapter above or close to his or her head.
Still further, the structure of known devices tend to have a “one-size-fits-all” design that limits the user's ability to adapt the device to the particular object being driven, especially with respect to length of the object and the diameter of the object.
The multiple-impact adapter for a hammer tool according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of permitting the hammer tool to be used to drive a fastener or positioning item with multiple impacts.